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Magnetic North Pole moving faster

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:15 pm
by jeffbert
It has always been moving, but its velocity has increased:
https://www.techspot.com/news/78585-magnetic-north-moving-quickly-causing-compasses-show-misleading.html

The article states that this is messing with subs & such, but I thought they used gyroscopic compasses rather than magnetic. ;)

Re: Magnetic North Pole moving faster

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:59 pm
by Tetsuwan Penguin
Gyro compasses still have to be aligned against magnetic once in a while (offset by the isogonic correction, same as in aircraft). It's worse for subs as they can't rely on GPS as aircraft can (except on the surface).

Re: Magnetic North Pole moving faster

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:44 am
by Strange Wings
So the next pole shift may be not too far out? Some say that it has happened already, though, and that pole shifts aren't barely noticeable anyway.
Perhaps there are different levels of intenseness?

Re: Magnetic North Pole moving faster

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:19 pm
by Tetsuwan Penguin
The magnetic poles don't switch around all at once. Gradually the magnetic field will become weaker, and less defined, and there may be several north and south poles at once. Then the field will become stronger as a new south pole appears where the north pole was and visa versa. This switching of the poles happens quickly, at least compared with geologic time frames, perhaps as fast as a few hundred to a thousand years. We're only now seeing the beginning of this process. How do we know this? The magnetic record is frozen in volcanic rock that melted and solidified during previous magnetic cycles.

Re: Magnetic North Pole moving faster

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 4:45 pm
by jeffbert
Good to see you again, Strange Wings!